By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

Executives offer upbeat outlook during review of projects at Castle

While the future of High Speed Rail in Merced has been a topic of debate among leaders, supporters and critics in recent weeks, county officials and company executives are pointing to progress happening right now at an existing transportation hub for the region and beyond: the Castle Commerce Center. 

Corporate leaders of three major firms making investments at the former Air Force base flew in to take part in a “year-in-review” presentation to the Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. 

They spoke in glowing terms of Castle as a “mobility center” that’s taking part in groundbreaking automotive and hybrid aircraft testing, growing strategic investments at the airport, and placing railroad tracks into the ground — with more on the way — to expand an inland port project that’s already moving locally grown produce to faraway destinations by way of intermodal freight transportation. 

“Castle’s original mission was as a training field, and it supported national priorities,” said Brett Roubinek, president and CEO of Transportation Research Center. “Today, the legacy continues. It remains a training and proving ground, and it’s focused on the future of mobility. As advanced air mobility (AAM) and advanced ground mobility (AGM) converge, Castle has a unique advantage.”

AMM is a new concept of air transportation using electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to move people and cargo between places. AGM refers to smart cars with autonomous driving technology. 

The TRC company is closing in on five years at Castle, and Roubinek said they have conducted nearly 78,000 hours of testing on a 225-acre, custom-built urban landscape site. He said the company has 124 employees and supported 198 jobs in Merced County, and created an economic impact of $43.9 million for the region. The effort was boosted by a $6.5 million grant from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), as well as another $6.1 million invested by TRC and its clients. 

Next up, Rob Thrall, the senior vice president of business development for Patriot Rail, pointed to another CalSTA grant — this one to the tune of $49.6 million awarded to Merced County in 2023 to build out an “inland port” at Castle to support green energy initiatives and reduced truck traffic across the state. 

Thrall called it a “game changer.” 

“This is going to change transportation in Merced County,” he said, adding that his rail and freight operation at Castle is already partnering with the Port of Los Angeles and a growing number of Central Valley growers. 

He said the funding will provide critical infrastructure as they develop 203 acres of railpark, including 700,000 square feet of wherehouse space, and 85 acres of transload and laydown space. 

In 2024, Patriot Rail acquired Hydra Logistics for a 16-acre site at Castle for transloading and warehousing purposes. They’ve also constructed a dock facility with a portable ramp. Thrall said customers include agricultural companies such as Morningstar out of Los Banos, as well as the global firm Goodpack. He added that Patriot Rail has worked with the nearby BNSF Railroad to expand interchange service from two days to five days. 

Regarding Castle Airport, and one of the longest runways in the West, the co-owner of KT Aero spoke about his company’s role as a Fixed-Base Operatior (FBO), which provides essential services, such as fueling and line maintenance, to general aviation, private and corporate aircraft. 

“2025 has been a fantastic first year for KT Aero,” said co-owner Diego Duran. “We’ve had quite a bit of operational improvements, upgrades to our facilities, and we really took a look at our pricing strategy. We feel now that Castle is positioned as a professional asset to the community, and to the larger aviation community.”

The company has a staff of four employess who support daily airfield operations, including three full-time line servce technicians and one operations manager. Duran said they have made more than $250,000 of renovations and improvements, and even purchased a six-person golf cart for clients to drive throughout Castle and to the Air Museum that’s quite a walk from the airport terminal. He added that KT Aero has lowered fuel prices, improved customer service, and increased coordination between management, tenants, and visiting operators — all to attract to more air traffic to Castle, as well as bring positive attention to Merced County. 

Merced County Fire Chief Chris Trinidade was also invited to speak on growing Cal Fire operations at Castle.  

He talked about the onsite Cal Fire facility that is bringing in more than 1,200 trainees per year and making a significant local economic impact. The Cal Fire Mariposa-Madera-Merced Unit has also moved its administration to Castle, bringing with it some 30 to 40 onsite staff. The overall Cal Fire presence represents $50 million worth of investment and economic growth at Castle, he said. 

Trinidade added that bringing a Cal Fire air program to Castle remains a goal. “If I was king for a day with Cal Fire, and I could move around aircraft in this state, I’d be moving our C-130 program to Castle.”

Mark Mimms, the county’s community and economic development director, rounded out the presentation by taking note of Castle as a growing cultural and entertainment center. He said individual events held at the Commerce Center brought in some 40,000 visitors in 2025, including 20,000 that attended the Luke Bryan concert on the airport tarmac last May.   

He said 2026 will bring in the construction of a new administration office and warehouse for M-Mig construction, new testing grounds for autonomous planes, new investment from FFA for the airport, and the launching of a new Worknet site aimed at bringing employers and potential workers together through networking services, interview opportunities, and job fairs. 

Board Supervisors Lloyd Pareira, Scott Silveira and Josh Pedrozo singled out their colleague Supervisor Daron McDaniel for his leadership in making Castle a priority for investment and development. McDaniel represents District 3, which includes the Castle Commerce Center. He is also running for re-election to a fourth term in office. His opponent, candidate Luis Lara, has been critical about the pace and direction of development at Castle, particulary for the airport, and has called for making job-creation a priority. 

Supervisor Pareira recalled that when he first came to the board nine years ago, McDaniel was already “driving the converation” about Castle. 

“I’m on the ad-hoc committee with him, and it’s just been fun to watch this all develop,” Pareira said. “10 short years. Quite a bit has happened.” 

Supervisor Silveira said that he feels fortunate that investments made by the county over the past decade are now starting to pay off during his time on the board. However, the District 5 representative also said the county needs to take the momentum and create a renewed focus on economic development “for the rest of the county.” 

“There are things out on the West Side. There’s things out in the Planada and Le Grand area. … Now that Castle’s kind of standing up on its own, growing up. It’s in its teenage years. It’s not a toddler anymore. We’re able to take that effort throughout our community, and the economic development department can focus on those areas.”

Supervisor McDaniel was the last to comment, and he gave a lengthy an upbeat description of the progress of Castle since he started on the board in 2015.  

“I said, ‘Let’s be the best in the world at what we’re currently doing.’ And that was our goal from that point forward. And we saw opportunities grow from there.”

Including at the airport, he added. 

“Let’s understand, the airfield had always been our focus. And we always wanted to grow the airfield. And it was a struggle because we had all these grand ideas to grow the airfield for everything else. But every study we did, and everybody we talked to, they kept putting up barriers. But we continue to work towards it. And I think we’re finding our niche.”

https://mercedcountytimes.com/executives-offer-upbeat-outlook-during-review-of-projects-at-castle/

By Faughn Economy • Tourism 0 Comments

Fresno airport gets $3.15M federal boost as passenger numbers hit record high

Rep. Jim Costa announced Thursday that $3.15 million in federal funding has been secured for Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), providing the City of Fresno funds to plan and design infrastructure improvements enhancing airport services.

The funding was granted through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Airport Improvement Program brings the total federal funding secured by Costa for FAT to more than $85 million in recent years, helping develop key infrastructure improvements including expanded terminal service, dining and retail services, public art and enhanced parking.

“I’m proud to continue that work with this latest $3.15 million in FY26 funding,” Costa said, adding that the investment will help design and plan the future of the airport. Building on past Community Project Funding and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants, these resources strengthen regional connectivity and fuel economic growth that benefits families across the Central Valley.”

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer expressed gratitude for Costa’s continued passion in driving funds to the airport, adding that with each development comes new jobs, improved passenger experience and long-term growth potential.

“Our airport has been growing steadily, and this investment allows us to build on that momentum,” Dyer wrote in a news release Thursday. “The result will be improved travel options, new jobs, and a stronger local economy.”

Fresno Yosemite International Airport enjoyed a record-breaking year for travel in 2025, surpassing 2.7 million passengers and has recently seen expanded growth featuring local businesses in its terminal with the opening of Mad Duck Craft Brewing Co., earlier this week and plans for future expansion featuring local business in the future.

“Securing this federal funding helps to support Fresno Yosemite International Airport in advancing infrastructure projects that expand regional connectivity and strengthen economic vitality,” said Interim Director of Aviation Francisco Partida. “These projects deliver a world-class airport that meets the needs of our community and supports continued progress.”

https://thebusinessjournal.com/fresno-airport-gets-3-15m-federal-boost-as-passenger-numbers-hit-record-high/

By Faughn Education • Health/Medical • Hi-Tech 0 Comments

UC Merced Scientists Among Global Elite Shaping AI, Climate and Health

UC Merced continues to demonstrate its growing influence on the global stage.

Several faculty members landed on Clarivate’s 2025 list of the world’s most‑cited researchers. The honor is reserved for the top 1% of scholars whose work has shaped their fields over the last 10 years. Clarivate, which produces journal impact factors and other analytics, says the award identifies the world’s most influential researchers.

Researchers have always advanced scientific understanding by building upon the discoveries of those who came before them. Today, they publish in peer‑reviewed journals. Their work is evaluated by experts before it is shared with the wider community. In every new paper, authors show how their work fits into the larger scientific story by citing earlier research, then clearly laying out the fresh insights and contributions their latest study brings to the field.

For UC Merced, the Clarivate recognition reflects a mature and fast‑advancing research enterprise rooted in Central Valley priorities — water, wildfire, climate resilience and equitable innovation — and extending into frontier areas such as artificial intelligence. Recognition on the Highly Cited list is a marker of UC Merced’s trajectory: a young campus now operating at top‑tier research intensity, producing scholarship that shapes its fields and its region.

As Clarivate’s President of Academia and Government Bar Veinstein put it in announcing the 2025 list, the honorees “advance innovation and inspire the global research community to tackle society’s greatest challenges with creativity and ingenuity.”

For the Valley, that means world‑class research rooted in local needs. Merced’s labs thrive on close student‑faculty collaboration, often with undergraduates contributing to published research — an opportunity that can be rarer at older, larger institutions.

Ming‑Hsuan Yang, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has appeared on the Highly Cited list annually since 2018, helped by seminal work in face detection, object tracking and representation learning. Now, his group is pushing into vision‑language models — systems that connect images and text and increasingly power generative tools and reasoning engines. Making the list again, he said, shows he has not peaked.

“I’m still doing the work,” he said. “I’m still making a good impact. I’m glad people use my work and build on top of it. On the other hand, I also build on other people’s work, so it goes both ways.”

Yang maintains an active research role in industry while leading UC Merced students in cutting-edge computer vision.

Distinguished Professor Martin Hagger, the only recipient from the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, is recognized on the list for a sustained body of work in social and health psychology spanning self-control, determinants of health behavior, and theory integration. Hagger’s lab at UC Merced focuses on how beliefs, motivation and habits translate into real world behavior change. Hagger made the list for the fourth consecutive year. In 2025, Hagger was promoted to distinguished professor, received UC Merced’s Senate Award for Distinction in Research and was elected a fellow of the American Psychological Association.

One of Hagger’s most cited papers examines ego depletion—the idea that people’s self-control is limited and depletes, leading to lapses in impulse control. His work challenged that idea and received widespread attention, including media coverage in 2016.

“Highly cited authors might contribute to a department’s research reputation — having authors whose research is highly cited is a hallmark of a research-intensive culture at a university and suggests that the department and the university conduct very high-impact research,” Hagger explained. “As the department and UC Merced more broadly have moved toward achieving very high research intensity status, including reaching R1 status last year, the reputation of the research produced by its faculty is important.”

UC Merced’s cross-field recognition also extends to biochemistry and public health through Emeritus Distinguished Professor Henry Jay Forman, a pioneering scholar in free radical biology and redox signaling. Forman, one of the campus’s founding faculty members, has served in national leadership roles and continues to contribute to research and publishing.

In a year when Los Angeles was devastated by wildfires, climate experts John Abatzoglou, a professor in management of complex systems, and Professor Crystal Kolden, director of the campus’s Fire Resilience Center, were sought after by media and highly cited by their peers.

Both appear on the 2025 Highly Cited list. Abatzoglou is listed in both environment and ecology and geosciences, reflecting the breadth of his climate science portfolio. His lab develops datasets and tools that help communities, agencies and land managers understand climate variability and anticipate impacts.

Kolden, a pyrogeographer, focuses on the human environment dimensions of wildfire, from prescribed fire and mitigation to recovery planning. She is a recognized expert in community-focused resilience strategies.

“We’re public servants to the people of California first and foremost, especially at a school like UC Merced,” Kolden said. “It’s always an honor when your peers cite your research, because it means your work has impact. But my goal is always to reduce the potential for the wildfire disasters that destroy peoples’ lives.”

Yang’s AI work positions UC Merced at the frontier of a field transforming health care, agriculture and education; his students and collaborators help fuel a growing California talent pipeline. Hagger’s research informs interventions tied to chronic disease and mental health — key concerns in the Central Valley — and his international collaboration in Finland brings global insights back to campus.

Clarivate emphasizes that citation activity is only the starting point. The list is refined using quantitative metrics, qualitative analysis and expert judgment, with explicit attention to research integrity. That approach reflects how UC Merced faculty describe their work — impact rooted in collaboration, mentorship and openness.

“I have had a lot of great graduate students, and I really have to thank them,” Yang said. “They’re doing well, and I hope that making this list and helping raise the university’s profile draws even more highly qualified graduate students to our labs.”

https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/uc-merced-scientists-among-global-elite-shaping-ai-climate-and-health

By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Calgren opens renewable gas station in Pixley fed by dairy methane

A new fueling station in Pixley closes the loop on a circular energy system where dairy waste powers both consumer vehicles and the agricultural trucks that serve local farms.

Calgren, a Pixley-based ethanol and renewable natural gas (RNG) production company, announced the completion of its first direct-to-consumer renewable compressed natural gas (R-CNG) fueling station. The facility allows drivers of CNG-compatible vehicles — including passenger cars, buses, and commercial fleets — to fuel with locally produced R-CNG from dairy methane.

Calgren has been producing renewable fuels in California’s Central Valley since 2008, when its ethanol facility in Pixley began operations. The company began expanding into dairy biogas in 2017, when it started permitting some 20 miles of pipeline to connect Pixley-area dairies to its Highway 99 production plant, according to previous Business Journal reporting.

At the time, company President Lyle Schlyer said the project would increase biogas volumes by as much as 20 times, replacing fossil fuel natural gas at the plant with methane captured from covered lagoons at nearby dairies. In July 2019, Calgren completed what was expected to become the largest dairy biogas operation in the U.S., becoming the first facility in California to operate a dairy digester pipeline cluster.

The facility now captures methane from more than 66,000 cows at area dairy farms, addressing California regulations that require the livestock industry to cut methane emissions to 40 percent of 2013 levels by 2030.

The project marks a significant milestone for Calgren, enabling the company to deliver its carbon-negative fuel directly to the local community for the first time.

“This station is about connecting the full circle of our work, producing quality feed for dairy cows, capturing methane that is traditionally released to atmosphere from dairies, processing it into renewable fuel, and putting it straight into vehicles on our roads, including our own partner trucks that haul our products and co-products,” said Travis Lane, CEO of Calgren. “The cow is fueling the truck that hauls the feed that fuels the cow, right here in Tulare County. This system helps to manage the dairy cows & environmental footprint, so they can continue to help feed and support our communities.”

https://thebusinessjournal.com/calgren-opens-renewable-gas-station-in-pixley-fed-by-dairy-methane/

By Faughn Hi-Tech • New Developments 0 Comments

Stratolaunch lands major private equity investment

One of eastern Kern’s most promising aerospace operations has secured a nine-figure investment — likely its largest ever — from a prominent private equity firm intent on extending the company’s leadership in hypersonic testing services. Stratolaunch announced Tuesday the investment by Florida-based Elliott Investment Management LP will allow the company to increase vehicle production capacity, boost flight frequency and pursue carrier aircraft.

Separately, in a federal investment almost certainly going to Stratolaunch, the House on Thursday passed an appropriations package that includes $15 million to enhance an undisclosed, reusable hypersonic testbed in Kern County. The 15-year-old Mojave-based company, already credited with successful hypersonic flights of reusable, autonomous aircraft, said the ultimate goal of Elliott’s investment is more and increasingly relevant demonstrations for the U.S. Department of War and its partners in the private sector.

“At a time when speed, scale, capability and execution matter more than ever, this investment (by Elliott) enables Stratolaunch to move faster and think bigger,” President and CEO Zachary Krevor said in a news release. “The United States does not have time for incrementalism.”

The capital commitment of a firm that reported managing more than $76 billion in assets as of June 30 complements an earlier investment by Cerberus Capital Management LP, a private equity firm based in New York City that reports having about $70 billion in assets. How soon the investment might bring new jobs to the region is hard to say. Stratolaunch spokeswoman Eva Folsom noted Wednesday that everything the company does, from engineering to manufacturing to production and test flights, happens in Mojave.

“As we increase our fleets, that increases our flight cadence, and the more we fly, the more we can expand our company,” Folsom said. She added that the ramp-up Elliott is funding is expected to happen by the end of this year.

Since March 2024, Stratolaunch has focused on essentially selling space. That is, the company does not build aircraft for sale but allows companies access to its testbed as they refine their own technologies.

Though recognized locally for its large carrier aircraft, Stratolaunch’s key innovation is a much smaller vehicle that can, and repeatedly has, flown at least five times the speed of sound. It calls its Talon class of planes “the first and only commercial autonomous, reusable hypersonic aircraft with multiple successful flights.”

The federal government has taken greater interest in hypersonic flight after reports in recent years that China and Russia have exceeded U.S. capabilities. The U.S. Department of War has indicated it wants to scale up to field hypersonic flights once weekly on average. A news story published this week by UK-based Aerospace Global News said Stratolaunch’s plans to increase its flight cadence addresses the Department of War’s push for quicker design-test-learn cycles.

“Exploring additional carrier aircraft reduces reliance on a single launch platform and opens the door to parallel operations across multiple test ranges,” the story stated.

Folsom said Stratolaunch hopes to have a new Talon ready to fly as soon as this quarter as the company works to produce others. In addition, it is looking to either buy a second Boeing 747 carrier or build another massive, dual-fuselage Roc carrier, she said. Elliott’s head of global private equity, David Kerko, said in Tuesday’s release that the firm looks forward to partnering with Cerberus and Stratolaunch executives to support the company’s growth.

“We are pleased that our capital can help extend the company’s market leadership in hypersonic testing services and enable its continued expansion,” Kerko stated.

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/stratolaunch-lands-major-private-equity-investment/article_2494261c-e73b-45b0-b579-54aec0f527e9.html

By Faughn Distribution 0 Comments

Massive AutoZone Distribution Center opens in Madera County

 A massive AutoZone Distribution Center has opened in Madera County. Madera County Supervisor Jordan Wamhoff posted the center’s ribbon-cutting and grand opening in Chowchilla on Tuesday on social media. The building is 556k ft. and will serve 350 stores across Northern California.

https://kmph.com/news/local/massive-autozone-distribution-center-opens-in-madera-county-350-stores-across-northern-california-400-full-time-jobs-to-local-workers

By Faughn Food Processing 0 Comments

Former Del Monte property on market for $70M

Looking to the future of the 1.3 million square-foot Del Monte processing plant that closed last year in Hanford, the owner says as a result of a December auction, all major processing ag equipment has been sold off and the property is on the market for around $70 million.

“It’s an attractive package,” says Morningstar Farms CEO Chris Rufer who added they have no plans to reuse the facility to process tomatoes. Instead he will sell off the multiple-building package with 650 acres of open land and 25-car rail spur at Jackson and South 11th Ave. near Hanford. Del Monte has been exiting the food processing business in California and just recently decided to close its cling peach cannery, laying off 600.The move left growers with no home for their crop. Rufer says the logical use for the vacant Hanford buildings is for a logistics use as a distribution center. Rufer says the tomato business has consolidated as contracts have led to reduced acreage.

Faraday Future stock falls below $1 NASDAQ-required level

Investors may not be impressed despite Faraday Futures’ splashy launch of robot sales announced at the recent NADA auto show in Las Vegas earlier this month. The company may be first out of the gate to begin selling humanoid type robots at the end of this month. But the company’s stock has slid below a key threshold of under a dollar per share for the first time since April 2025. It was 77 cents Tuesday and fell below $1 as of Feb. 3 when the Las Vegas event was underway. The company could lose its listing on the NASDAQ exchange if the low value persists. If the closing share price remains below $1 for more than 30 consecutive trading days, a deficiency notice is automatically triggered, and the company is granted no less than 180 days to regain listing compliance. The decline makes it harder for the company to convince investors to take a chance.

Snow drought relief at China Peak

Like all California ski resorts, China Peak above Fresno has suffered through more than a month of no snow just when they needed it. The resort has been using machine snow to make up the difference and keep the place open despite the melting of the snowpack all around them and 75 degree weather in nearby Fresno. This week there is finally some good news that the persistent ridge of high-pressure off of our coast is breaking up. Instead of warm weather, the snowpack is expected to fall as low as 3,500 feet. Storms will be cold. On their website, China Peak announced, “We will reopen Thursday at 9 a.m. with fresh snow. Will keep you posted as the weather moves in starting Tuesday. It may be a foot or snow then a bigger system rolls in at some point over the president holiday weekend.”

By Faughn Economy • New Developments 0 Comments

$22M Vallarta lease tops Central Valley deals

A $22.2 million retail lease at Visalia’s Eastgate Plaza topped the Central Valley’s commercial real estate deals in 2025 — part of a year dominated by industrial warehouses and big-box retail as office properties were a nonfactor. Industrial and retail properties dominated the Largest Commercial Real Estate Transactions list (see pages 8-9) in the Central Valley in 2025, according to the broker survey of transactions from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.

Last year’s highest-dollar transaction was the $22.2 million retail lease signed by Vallarta Supermarkets at Eastgate Plaza in Visalia, which covers over 53,000 square feet. The retail center at 600 S. Lovers Lane will have seven buildings that include the supermarket, two retail stores, a carwash, two drive-thru restaurants and one drive-thru coffee house. The new Vallarta store would be 53,000 square feet with one co-anchored store with 26,000 square feet.

Close behind Eastgate Plaza was a $22 million industrial lease at Riggin Avenue in Visalia, spanning over 202,000 square feet. The two Visalia transactions highlight the Central Valley’s focus on large-format retail centers and industrial facilities.

Warehouse and industrial sales also were among 2025’s largest deals. A $21.5 million sale at 1467 E. Dinuba Ave. of the former Prima Wawona packinghouse in Reedley scaled more than 360,000 square feet, making it the largest industrial sale by area. Other large industrial transactions included a $9 million sale in Clovis and multiple leases in Visalia and Fresno over 100,000 square feet.

Retail leasing and sales continued to be active across Fresno and Tulare counties. Transactions included a $13.2 million lease on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno and a $9.9 million lease on Cesar Chavez Boulevard. Several retail sales ranging from $7 million to $5 million occurred in Fresno, Porterville, Bakersfield and Lemoore, showing continued turnover in established shopping corridors.

Office properties represented a smaller share of the year’s top transactions but remained present in higher-end submarkets. A $16.8 million office lease in north Fresno’s River Park ranked among the largest office deals, while a $6 million deal on Divisadero Street was another large sale.

Land sales appeared throughout the list, mainly in Fresno and Visalia.

Parcels ranging from around 10 to more than 40 acres traded at prices between $3 million and $7.2 million, indicating continued positioning for future development tied to industrial, retail and mixed-use projects. Across the full ranking, industrial and retail properties accounted for the majority of total transaction value, both in sales and long-term leases. The largest deals tended to cluster in Fresno and Visalia, with additional high-dollar transactions in Reedley, Clovis, Porterville, Bakersfield and Madera.

In 2024, retail made up six out of the top ten most expensive transactions.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/22m-vallarta-lease-tops-central-valley-deals/

By Faughn Education 0 Comments

UC Merced Alum, Now a Robotics Expert for Amazon, Advises Students to Get Their Hands Dirty

Kevin Arrieta got into robotics to avoid getting into trouble. Arrieta said he joined the robotics club at his Compton high school after the teacher who ran it gave him an ultimatum.

“I had gotten in with the wrong crowd,” he said. “I had a physics teacher who told me, ‘Join my robotics club or I’m calling your mom.'”

In the club, Arrieta found he loved working with sensors and doing programming, and he was good at it.

“You have an engineering mind and you don’t even know it,” his teacher said.

Arrieta put that engineering mind to work at UC Merced, where he graduated in 2024. Now a senior automation engineer at a company that works with retail giant Amazon, Arrieta recently returned to campus to talk about his career and offer advice to students in an electrical engineering class taught by Professor Sarah Kurtz.

“Get your hands dirty,” he told them. “Do personal projects, do research.”

He also encouraged them to make use of the resources uniquely available at UC Merced.

“Speak to your professors,” he said. “The relationship you can have with them is something you won’t see on a lot of campuses. Take advantage of that.”

The path to success isn’t always smooth. In his third year of college, Arrieta found himself running an e-commerce business. He was working about 60 hours a week and struggling to juggle that with his course load. He essentially dropped out of school, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to finish.

“I’m a person of faith, so I prayed about it,” he said. He recommitted to his education and landed internships with Tesla at sites in Texas and New York, as well as a job at Amazon.

“I was taking five engineering courses, working the night shift at Amazon and weekends somewhere else,” he said. “It’s important to understand your bandwidth, how much you can handle.”

Resilience is also important, he said.

“Apply, apply, apply. I applied to 100 internships and got three offers.”

All that work paid off, and when Arrieta graduated, he already had two years of experience.

“I started off straight into management. I’ve supported six Amazon sites all over the country.”

He now works for CNW Services, which provides automation engineering support at an Amazon site in Stockton.

And he’s still learning. He showed the students video footage of a robot he created that was supposed to be powered by a PlayStation 4 controller. Except it didn’t go anywhere, a problem with a Bluetooth signal. Another remote got the robot to move a little.

“Finally, we got it to work in autonomous mode,” Arrieta said. “As an engineer, you’re going to have these failures. Things that don’t play out the way you want them to play out.”

He said students now have the option of majoring in electrical engineering, which wasn’t available when he attended UC Merced.

“That person next to you, they’re probably going for the same internships you are,” he said. “What are you doing to set yourself apart? Home in on your craft and whatever you’re learning now, try to carry that into your career.”

Kurtz said having a former student who has a similar experience to those now in class is valuable.

“Many of our students are trying to understand what will happen after they finish their degrees,” she said. “Kevin’s visit was a fantastic opportunity for students to peek into the possibilities for their own futures.”

https://news.ucmerced.edu/news/2026/uc-merced-alum-now-robotics-expert-amazon-advises-students-get-their-hands-dirty

By Faughn Economy 0 Comments

Tulare County Economic Forecast: Cities sprouting business seeds

From the grand opening of mom-and-pop shops in the revitalized downtown Tulare region to the groundbreaking and celebration for one of the region’s biggest entertainment venues, Tulare County looks to build on successes from 2025, carrying that momentum and motivation into 2026 and beyond.

Tulare growth

The City of Tulare saw its downtown region undergo revitalization in 2025, efforts that build upon the city’s focus in expanding opportunities for local businesses, building momentum for additional economic growth, with room to expand going into 2026.

The recent grand openings of Tulare Supreme Cabinet & Granite and The 26th Hour — a new “speakeasy” venue in downtown Tulare, speak to the broad-scope growth and variance in business the region has seen and hopes to see moving forward. Tulare Chamber of Commerce CEO Donette Silva said that two grant programs, as well as the Taste Program — a grant-program targeted at restaurant development — have helped grow the region significantly and hope to continue that growth moving forward.

“We have interest from others that are looking at the downtown area,” she said, adding that, aside from downtown expansion and growth opportunities, large-scale retailers have shown interest in the city as well.


Grassroots effort

She credited some of the growth — the development of a new Save Mart Supermarket, expected to open in 2027 — to former Tulare City Councilmember Greg Nunley and his family, who have worked to attract the retailer to the region.

“We’re excited to partner with The Save Mart Companies to deliver a high-quality shopping experience for Tulare families,” Nunley said in a news release earlier this year. “The Nunley Family extends their gratitude to everyone for their dedication and collaboration in making this project possible.”

Tulare has also attracted big brand names Chick-fil-A and McDonalds to the Mooney Boulevard corridor as well, furthering opportunities for investment into the community.

Tulare also saw the first successful concert season at the newly completed Adventist Health Amphitheater at Zumwalt Park, something that Silva said not only attracts concertgoers, but encourages them to stop and spend money, further stimulating the region’s economic footprint. The venue has teased its 2026 calendar on its website, with the hope that its second season proves as successful as its first which saw headliners Los Lobos, Dokken and A Flock of Seagulls perform, among other local up-and-coming artists.

Visalia on the rise

The City of Visalia also has an eye on 2026, in particular in industrial logistics, retail growth and infrastructure preparation.

As the Visalia Industrial Park — a $130 million project that seeks to connect Visalia to Highway 99 and improve travel in the region — nears completion, large parcels of land will become available for development.

Building off a strong 2025, the city will continue its focus on expansion in 2026, with zoning/infill incentive programs in place, and a new project tracker website, where infrastructure projects can be tracked individually.

In 2026, Visalia aims to transition from foundation-building to execution, aiming to stimulate economic growth through years of continued pre-development for future projects that look to come to fruition in the coming years.


World Ag Expo leadership

The International Agri Center’s World Ag Expo is under the leadership of a new show chairman, and the global event hopes to see an even larger turnout in 2026.

Now under the leadership of Tulare native Ron Clark, the 2026 show theme, “Grounds for Innovation” will seek to highlight the event space, featuring cutting-edge ag technology on display for both visitors and prospective buyers.

The 2025 expo saw more than 100,000 visitors from 49 states and 80 countries, with the 2026 show hoping to surpass those numbers. Tulare Chamber’s Silva said that between 80-90% of exhibitor space has already been reserved for this year’s show.

“Our team is hard at work preparing for next year’s show,” said International Agri-Center CEO Jerry Sinift. “We are happy to continue providing a place for the agriculture community to connect, learn, and grow.”

In addition to next year’s expo, the space around the International Agri Center hopes to undergo major expansion over the next several years; Silva said that conversations have been underway with businesses interested in the over 300 acres of space near the center, adding that the real estate is perfect for not only vendors and store owners, but also hoteliers looking to capitalize on the annual event’s popularity, as well as the attractions of local national parks and other tourism-driven enterprises.

For visitors who come from California, traveling is also expected to become easier over the next several years, with infrastructure improvements to Highway 99 expected to be completed in 2027, with some parts, including sections of freeway near the Agri Center, slated to open as soon as next year.


Wheels up, chips down

This year has brought with it a rise in community investment and business growth for the Porterville community, with that investment paying dividends in anticipated growth in the upcoming year.

City of Porterville Development Associate Magdalena Salazar said that the city’s combined addition of new retail, housing, tourism assets, workforce programs and infrastructure modernization will create a strong foundation for continued economic growth in 2026 and beyond. She highlighted the work the city has done in 2025 along Henderson Avenue, Main Street and Riverwalk Marketplace.

“Porterville’s continued progress reflects strong collaboration among the City, the Tule River Tribe, local organizations, and the business community,” she said. “The City’s commitment to business-friendly processes, community investment, beautification efforts, and quality-of-life improvements is positioning Porterville as one of the most promising growth areas in the Central Valley.”

Construction on Eagle Mountain Casino’s hotel broke ground in 2025 and will continue throughout 2026, driving the future of the casino and the Tule River Tribe’s vision to revitalize the casino’s footprint in the Valley. Upon completion in 2027, the 250-room hotel and expanded entertainment center will support up to 1,000 jobs, driving additional tourism to the region.

The casino relocated to within city limits in 2023, phase one of a three-phase project that looks to build on the legacy and success of the tribal gaming center.

Nearby, the Porterville Municipal Airport is undergoing a multi-year upgrade project, including a $4.44 million taxiway project that will allow larger airport operations and support additional aviation-based businesses to the city. This year will also see the addition of the Henderson Commercial Project, a 92,000 square-foot retail center including a grocery store, drive-thru restaurants and a 24-hour pharmacy. Approved late this year, the project will bring a slew of new jobs to the Highway 65 corridor.

https://thebusinessjournal.com/tulare-county-economic-forecast-cities-sprouting-business-seeds/